Saddlebag - Afghan Baluch?

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

Here is a saddlebag that has me a little confused and I’m looking for some insights. To me initially, I thought this may be from the Iranian side of the Baluch tribe until I saw the long fringes. I’m really not sure where it’s from. I’ve had it about 4 years now and I’m just getting around to assessing it.

43 x 16 in
110 x 41 cm

KPSI 56
KPSD 868

-Weave: Asymmetrical knots

-Wool on wool, one piece construction.
-Pile front, Kilim bridge and back.
-Dyes: Appear natural with only slight fading on the orange color tips.
-Weft: Black wool
-Warp: beige wool 2 ply
-Fasteners: Brown goat hair
-Backside: one color, beige kilim.
-Bridge: 2 x 16 inches, same piece as backside, no color or designs.

Previous moth damage

Age? Possibly 1900-1940

Any insights would be appreciated.

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi Joe,

I would lean toward middle third 20th century, mostly because of the coarsely rendered design elements. older Baluch work tends to be more finely rendered. With that timeframe, I'm not sure about that red being natural, but it's possible. Someone who knows what they are doing can properly fix synthetic dyes and they won't run, and some or more fade resistant than others. Modest tip fading on the orange suggests limited exposure to harsh light. Not sure I can add much more other than I have one with similar rendering and it's from the Sistan region. Which side of the border ? Who knows.

Regards
Chuck

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

Thank you Chuck. I always appreciate your knowledge and insights.

What I do enjoy about this piece is its ragged worn condition which suggests actual usage. I was secretly hoping for an older piece but in the back of my mind, I knew the low knot count hints to a more recent piece than my rough estimate.